CANTON — The man killed following a shootout Saturday with Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies had a history of alcohol-related arrests and his wife of 17 years had filed for divorce just days before the shooting incident, according to court documents.

The man was identified as 55-year-old Carl Thomas Langford II by Cherokee County Coroner Earl Darby.

“When deputies arrived on the scene a suspect was outside the home firing a .45 caliber handgun,” Baker said.

Baker said deputies ordered Langford to drop the weapon, but that he was shot by the officers after he refused to do so. He later died from his injuries.

Reports indicate that Langford fired his weapon a number of times during the incident.

Three deputies are on administrative leave with pay while the shooting is under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Baker said.

GBI spokesman John Bankhead confirmed Tuesday that his office is investigating the situation but would not provide any further information on the investigation.

Baker said his office would be making no further comment on the case since it is now being handled by the GBI.

Langford’s wife filed for divorce on Sept. 27 in the Superior Court of Cherokee County. In the filing, it said that Langford was not employed, but that his wife was.

In addition to the home in Hidden Acres, which was for sale for $249,500 by Prudential Georgia Realty, the couple also owned a second home at Big Canoe near Jasper, according to the documents.

In 2010, Langford pleaded guilty to Driving Under the Influence charges and was accepted into the Cherokee County DUI/Drug Court Program, according to documents obtained from the court system.

His driver’s license was suspended, documents show.

Other documents show a long history of traffic citations for driving with a canceled license, failure to maintain lane, weaving over the roadway, and other charges.

Harold Welchel, a local business owner and plumber who ran for the state House in the July Republican primary, said he was at the man’s house on Thursday afternoon to do some work and that he was “acting strange.”

Welchel said the man had been a customer of his since 2003 and had always been cordial in past dealings.

“When I went out to his house on Thursday he was acting really strange and I could tell something was wrong with him,” Welchel said in an interview Tuesday. “I just assumed he was drinking, there was definitely something wrong.”

Welchel said Langford was upset about the divorce and said that he didn’t want to “start over.”

“He was home alone and said he was going to drive to Roswell. This was about 5:38 and he said he needed to be there by 6 o’clock. I suggested he stay home and not try to drive,” Welchel said. “In the past we had never had any type of problem with him.”

Welchel said before Thursday’s encounter Langford has “always been an OK guy.”

Welchel said he did not see any firearms at the house on Thursday.

Langford was arrested in March of this year on charges of possessing and consuming alcohol while on probation and served 10 days in jail, court records show.

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